Murdoch filed a one-page document Thursday indicating that he was opening a divorce case in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan.

A News Corp. spokesperson confirmed the filing.

The couple are parents to two daughters, who have no voting stake in the company. The children are beneficiaries of non-voting shares that are held in a trust.

Murdoch controls 40 percent of the voting shares of News Corp. through a separate family trust. Murdoch has four other children from two previous marriages, including three who have active roles within the company.

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Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz in New York contributed to this report